Rhythm In Animals Reveals Evolution Of Human Music
Alex was small, but precocious. He could count to six, do simple math, name shapes and colors, even help other students learn to speak. But the real surprise came when he heard music. Even though he’d never learned how, Alex began to dance.
Here’s the thing: Alex was a bird.
Although the African Grey parrot was already famous for his intelligence and linguistic abilities, there had been no signs of any musical talent. That changed in 2007, when Adena Schachner, a Harvard University PhD student who researches the origins of musical behavior, played Alex a song she’d composed.
“We were completely shocked to see that spontaneously, of his own accord, the parrot started to, it looked like, move to the beat,” Schachner said. Other researchers had told her that auditory entrainment — that is, listening to an external rhythm and moving the body in time with it — was a uniquely human skill. But mathematical analysis of Alex’s head bobs revealed that he was legitimately in sync with the music. So much for unique.
For humans, musical rhythm is universal and ingrained. Dance is found in every culture on Earth. Until recently, however, the evolutionary origins of our rhythmic ability had largely gone unprobed. Now, scientists like Schachner are looking to examples of rhythm in animals for insight into how we got the beat.
The first logical place to look for musical behavior like our own is in other primates. Chimpanzees, our closest evolutionary cousins, drum on logs and tree roots with their hands to display social dominance. Gorillas famously beat on their chests. And macaque monkeys, whose last common ancestor with humans lived 30 million years ago, shake branches in the wild — or cage bars when they’re captive — to tell other monkeys who’s boss.
Recent research demonstrates that for primates, like for us, rhythm and social communication are closely linked. Macaques process drum sounds in the same brain regions as vocal calls, according to a study published last October in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Co-author Cristoph Kayser, who studies how the brain processes auditory information at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen, Germany, explained that the corresponding brain regions in humans are specialized to analyze a speaker’s emotional state. In other words, just as we may hear sadness or anger in a piece of music, a macaque can sense excitement or agitation in a fellow macaques’ drum beats.
But primates’ musical abilities end there. Although apes and monkeys can hammer out a rhythm, they can’t entrain to an external one. Attempts to teach them how have failed, according to Anniruddh Patel, who studies music and the brain at the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego, Calif. That’s why it was such a surprise that an animal less closely related to humans, like Alex the parrot, could move on beat.
Alex died unexpectedly before Schachner’s research on him could continue, but he wasn’t the only dancing bird. Patel also works with Snowball, a sulfur-crested cockatoo whose proclivity for bopping to the Backstreet Boys made him a YouTube sensation. When he saw a video of Snowball swinging his head and stomping his legs to music, Patel remembers thinking: “Holy cow, this looks like it might be real.”
To determine if Snowball was truly entraining or merely hitting the beat by coincidence, Patel played the bird sped-up versions of the Backstreet Boys song. Sure enough, the faster the song played, the faster Snowball rocked out. That meant he could both recognize the rhythm and finely adjust his muscle movements to match it, which is the same thing we do when we dance.
“It suggests that you don’t need a human nervous system to have this behavior,” said Patel. He co-authored a paper on Snowball that appeared alongside Schachner’s study on Alex in Current Biology last May.
Schachner’s team also cast a wider net across the animal kingdom by searching YouTube for dancing pet videos. If something looked like entrainment, they analyzed it frame-by-frame to determine if the animal was truly on tempo. They found evidence of genuine entrainment in 14 bird species — including parrots, macaws and cockatoos — and in African elephants.
Our last common ancestor with elephants lived tens of millions of years ago, and birds’ evolutionary line split off long before that. So why do birds and elephants share something with us that our closer primate relatives don’t?
The link, Patel and Schachner believe, is vocal mimicry. Each of the species that can entrain to music has also evolved the ability to imitate external sound. Birds like parrots can imitate other bird calls and human speech. Elephants can reproduce the sounds of other elephants — and even, in one recently recorded case, the sound of trucks passing on a highway.
“The theory is that part of the machinery that’s necessary for keeping a beat originally evolved for vocal imitation,” Schachner said. That means that dancing may not be a beneficial adaptation itself, but rather a lucky side effect of one.
Or, as Patel put it, “It may be something that comes along for the ride when you have a certain kind of brain.”
The kind of brain you need seems be a social one. As he continues his research with Snowball, Patel is finding that the bird’s motivation to dance increases when there’s a person around. That neatly mirrors a recent study with human infants, which demonstrated that they can drum on a beat more accurately when they’re drumming with a human partner, rather than with a drumming robot or a sound alone. The work was published this past November in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology.
The study’s lead author, Sebastian Kirschner of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, says the research suggests an innate social motivation to synchronize, which may turn out to be “typically human, but not uniquely human.”
Harvard’s Schachner is now focusing her research on beat-keeping in humans — she wants to see if moving in synchrony helps people cooperate better. Ultimately, she hopes the work will clarify the origins of our ability to socialize, and perhaps of music itself.
“It’s a phenomenon that’s so important to so many people,” Schachner said, “and we have no idea how it got there.”
Family searches for their lost Parrot!.
A Derry woman says she’s sick with worry after her pet parrot went missing on Thursday night.
Princess the parrot has ruffled a few feathers in the Bryson house since she made her escape through an open door in St Johnston at tea time on Thursday. Her owner Lena Bryson has now offered a reward for the safe return of her Princess.
“Princess is an African grey parrot,” she explained. “We were at my mother’s home in St Johnston when she flew out of a door that had been left open. We watched as Princess flew in the direction of Derry but we haven’t see her since.
“I’m not even sure if she’ll be able to cope on her own.”
Lena who says this is her pet’s first trip away from home, has asked local people to keep an eye out for Princess.
“I’m afraid that someone might mistake her for a pigeon,” she said. “But Princess has a big beak. She is a beloved family pet and we are desperate to get her back. She is so well behaved.
“Princess says things like ‘Can I have a wee cup of tea?’ She can also wink and dance. Princess comes up to your face and says ‘Give me a wee kiss’ and gives you a peck on the lips.
‘Likes females’
“Princess like females more than males, if a female approaches her, and puts her hand near her feet, she will probably come up to her hand. I’m hoping someone will have seen Princess or know where she is.”
Last year we reported how Askim the parrot flew an amazing 30 miles from his home in Maydown to Dunree Fort in Buncrana, where he was spotted by a neighbour.
If you have any information about Princess please contact Lena Bryson on 07547815372
Calling All People That Have Been Scammed
You may have seen our blog post that we wrote last year about how to spot a parrot scam and avoid parting with your hard earned cash for nothing.
Well as a result of the resounding success of this post we have been contacted by some people that want to put something together about parrot scams and people that have been scammed.
We’ve heard from so many people already but please contact us if you have been scammed and want to have your story heard, so if you think you’re brave enough to stand up in front of the nation/world to tell them your story and disgrace the people that do it (if they have an ounce of morality in them) whilst helping to prevent others form suffering the same fate as you then shoot us an email to
admin@african-grey-parrot-centre.co.uk
Behavioural Signals In Grey Parrots
By Greg Glendell. Adapted from an article originally published in Parrots magazine 2009.
All birds have a large range of behaviours, which are essentially innate; they are born with the ability to carry out these behaviours; though there will be variation in how each individual bird carries out each behaviour. In grey parrots there are a range of calls, postures and actions which the birds use to communicate detailed information to each other. This relates to the bird’s fears, likes, dislikes and methods of avoiding harm (predator avoidance). Many of the behaviours are carried out by very subtle combinations of raising or lowering certain feathers, particularly the feathers on the head, back and neck. The process of determining accurately the purpose of each behaviour is not easy to achieve. First, you need a group of birds of the same species which you can observe as they interact with each other. It is important that the birds cannot see you while you are recoding their behaviours, as you should not influence their behaviour. Next, each behaviour is described in some detail and given a name. Finally, you need to carry out some tests so as to determine accurately what the purpose of each behaviour is. You should then be able to predict interactions between the birds and between birds and people. This is what I have done this for this species. The result is the decoded ‘language’ for the species studied, called an ethogram. It cannot be transferred to other species. Each species has their own complete set of signals which is different from other species of parrots, though some behaviours may be similar to closely related species.
The 34 signal/behaviours have all been seen in Timneh grey parrots and most (but not all) have been seen in African greys. In most cases the birds were not aware of being watched by people while they gave the signals. The observations come from birds observed over 16 years in bird parks, cages and aviaries of bird-keepers, birds at liberty and in caged birds offered for sale. In most cases an attempt has been made to interpret the function of each behaviour. Most behaviours can be classified as either affiliative (Af) (friendly, social behaviour) or agonistic (Ag) (anti-social, aggressive, or assertive). Some behaviours are termination behaviours, performed as a way of signalling the end of another activity. A few are ‘commencement’ behaviours; these are performed where the bird is preparing itself to carry out some other task. Some behaviours are neutral (N) or I have not been able to determine their function. Some of these interpretations are only provisional. The signals are listed in alphabetical order of given name. I have not been able to observe many behaviours which may occur while birds are in sustained flight. All of the behaviours below are innate behaviours; every grey parrot is born with the ability to do these behaviours, and, given the stimulus, will carry them out as appropriate. They are not ‘learnt’ behaviours or ‘tricks’. They are part of this species’ behavioural repertoire and they form a valuable key into understanding your bird’s likes and dislikes, fears and degree of contentment. It is vital to back away immediately from any bird if it ever shows fearful behaviours such as growling.
1.Aighr! Aighr! Bird makes loud, repeated, medium pitched “Aighr, aighr” noise while (usually) flying in an excited, erratic or eccentric manner.
Interpretation: Af. invitation to play?
2. Attack. Most body and head feathers raised as in Mantling (No. 17). Bird walks or runs towards source of stimulus with head lowered and bill half open, may blaze eyes (see No. 6). ‘Opponent’ may adopt a similar stance, or fly away. Where opposed, both birds may fight bite attempting to bite eachothers eyes or beak, as their eyes blaze wildly (No 6).
Interp: Ag; behaviour regarding space, food, or threat to one’s mate.
3. Chuck, chuck. Bird makes a soft “chuck, chuck” sound on alighting a perch after having been flying. Call not repeated more than twice.
Interp: Af; Short distance contact call? Termination signal?
4. Clicking. Bird makes clicking sound, 1 to 4 times, by snapping the lower mandible against a notch in the upper mandible. All feathers usually held down though may raise feathers on back (but never on rump) very briefly.
Interp: Ag. Warning/assertiveness/irritation. Bird does not wish to be disturbed, or interact with another. May blaze eyes (see No. 6) if further provoked.
5. Drawing. Bird touches any surface it may be stood on, and with its beak ‘draws’, making erratic or semi-circular movements, pausing to raise its head occasionally (not seen in Af grey).
Interp: Af/Ag? Assertiveness/confidence, desire to initiate some action, impatience, desire for play?
6. Eye blaze. Pupils contract rapidly but briefly while head (usually but not always) held forwards and lowered. Contraction/dilation may be repeated 2 or 3 times. Sometimes, some head and neck feathers are raised, and bird may “Click” (No. 4).
Interp: Ag + Af; Bird is excited (negatively or positively). This signal should not be confused with the bird’s focussing at close distance. In close-focussing, the bird contracts its pupil (iris) to increase depth of field to be able to focus at near-beak distances; e.g. while feeding.
7. Flapping. Stance similar to v-wings (No. 30 below). While perched, bird flaps wings 3-5 times in stereotypical manner while perched with an upright stance; head held forwards. Feathers on back may be raised.
Interp: Af to mate. Ag to others? Territorial? Advertisement of presence to birds known by the signaller (peers and/or mate).
8. Flight Attack. All body feathers held down tightly; bird is always standing on both feet and looks very alert with staring eyes. Bird flies at opponent with no discernible warning (either audibly or visually) usually trying to gain height over the opponent and striking with feet and/or beak while in flight.
Interp: Ag. Intention to drive another bird away.
9. Fluffed up. Bird has upright stance and may rest on one foot only. Most body feathers (but never any wing feathers) are slightly raised, but relaxed. Feathers around chin/cheeks, forehead and back of head (but not neck) clearly raised but feathers on middle of top of head are flattened.
Interp: Af/N. Bird is relaxed, sleepy; may not wish to interact with other birds/people.
10. Growl (fear). Bird makes loud, throaty continuous growling sound. Body feathers held down tightly.
Interp: Ag; Bird is fearful, not aggressive.
11. Growl (threat). As fear growl, but most body feathers including wing coverts are raised. Bird may Click (No. 4) as well.
Interp. Ag; fearful, but not as fearful as in No. 10. Bird wishes to remain where it is while repelling an intruder.
12. Hackles. All feathers on back of neck and upper back raised and lowered very briefly.
Interp: Ag/N; Mild aggression or determination/mild frustration or ’commencement activity’ while bird prepares to do something which requires extra attention, such as fly to an unfamiliar perch, or approach a new object. Shows bird is concentrating/determined?
13. Head pumping. Head is moved up and down vertically and rhythmically 2-6 times while body is motionless.
Interp: Af to mate; Ag. To others? Conspicuous show of assertiveness, confidence, territorial display?
14. Hollow whistle. Bird leans forward and downwards while making single hollow-sounding whistle.
Interp: Af to mate; Ag to others: Bird is alert, confident, but not alarmed. Mild threat/provocation to other greys except mate?
15. Kissing (in mated/bonded pairs only). Birds gently lock beaks briefly, one bird’s beak at 90 degrees to the other; heads sometimes dipped together several times. May proceed to mutual feeding (see 18).
Interp: Af; Greeting between a bonded pair.
16. Knocking. Bird uses front of bill to tap 2 to 6 times on any surface that may produce a resonant sound, e.g. nestbox, windowpane.
Interp: Af to mate; Ag to others. Territorial display?
17. Mantling. Feathers on back, dorsal side of neck and back of head are raised; may also raise feathers on upper wing-coverts. Eyes appears wide and staring, never sunken in. May blaze eyes; may spread/fan tail (rare).
Interp: Ag; Threat/warning of intention to attack the source of the stimulus by walking (not flying). May follow this by Attack (No. 2).
18. Mutual feeding. As kissing, but one bird (usually the male?) passes regurgitated food to the female. Female further stimulates male by pumping her head rhythmically up and down during food exchange, and ‘kissing’ the male.
Interp: Af. Courtship, foreplay, maintains pair bond?
19. Mutual preening. One bird preens the other. Invariably this is confined to the head or upper neck area only. Both birds are usually relaxed with eyes sunken in; most head feathers are raised but ‘relaxed’ on the receiving bird. Body feathers may also be slightly raised on receiving bird.
Interp: Af. Maintains pair bond/courtship in paired birds? Af in non-bonded birds/siblings/peers?
20. Ostrich/fear huddle. (Only seen so far in caged birds while in the company of humans). Bird attempts to hide by facing away from source of stimulus, hiding its head in corner of cage on the floor. Bird remains stationary. May growl if disturbed. Often seen in a group of birds who all congregate in a ‘fear huddle’ in the same corner of the cage.
Interp: Ag. Extreme fear response in highly stressed birds.
21. Rasping. Lower bill rubbed/vibrated repeatedly by being drawn inwards against inside of upper bill, producing a rasping or purring sound. Bird is stationary, relaxed and may stand on one foot only. Often done at or before roosting or during afternoon ‘siesta’. The only sound likely to be heard during darkness. Body and appearance as in ‘Fluffed up’.
Interp: Af. Close contact/ reassurance call? Self-comforting behaviour? Other bird(s) reply by rasping as well.
22. Scratching. Bird scratches the floor, first with one foot, then the other in a rhythmic, rather stereotypical manner. The head is held low, never above the height of the bird’s back, the beak usually touching the floor, or holding on to the cage wire. Not often seen in adults but usually in immature birds.
Interp: Ag; Frustration at confinement? Substitute nest-excavation behaviour?
23. Scratch Request. Head held low and brought forward (bill may be touching perch) while head and some upper neck feathers are raised. ’Chin’ feathers always raised. Eyes may be partially closed or appear sunken in. Bird stands quite still.
Interp: Af; Invitation for mutual preening/head scratch. Pro-social/friendly (submissive when displayed to an aggressor?)
24. Screech. Bird makes screeching/screaming sound, usually once only. May blaze eyes.
Interp: N/Ag; Excitement mixed with irritation or frustration (at self/object or other bird?).
25. Squawk. Single loud, harsh note, repeated 2-6 times, sometimes more. All feathers held down tightly. Often given on sight of a cat or dog, or unfamiliar/close approach of unfamiliar person or object. Bird may fly immediately in panic.
Interp: Ag. Contact call when produced at low volume and not repeated. But fear/alarm call when volume increased and call repeated. Invitation to take flight? Predator escape response? Or sight of some other threat to self, mate or peers?
26. Strutting. Bird walks in exaggerated, pompous manner; swaggers and stomps each foot down as it walks with the head held upright. Not seen on Af. grey.
Interp: Af to mate; Ag to others? Assertiveness/territorial display?
27. Swaying. Bird’s feet remains in fixed position while swinging its head and sometimes whole body conspicuously in an eccentric manner several times. Often this behaviour is a prelude to, and associated with Strutting. Not seen in Af. Grey.
Interp: Af to mate; Ag to others. Assertiveness, intimidation, or invitation to play?
28. Tailshake. Tail shaken rapidly but only briefly from side to side, sometimes accompanied by shaking of body feathers.
Interp: Af/N; Bird is relaxed and ready or keen to do something. Commencement activity. And/or termination activity seen after bird has carried out some other familiar activity. Also sometimes seen after ‘kissing’ when bonded birds greet each other.
29. Turn away. Bird turns sideways to another (opponent?) lowers head and usually walks briskly away. May use a side-step/skipping action, keeping head down and eyes out of sight of opponent. May raise ‘chin’ feathers.
Interp: Af/N; Appeasement/submissiveness. Bird wishes to avoid conflict?
30. V wings. Head is drawn in to shoulders, wings raised up over back by extension of humerus/shoulder joint, and primaries flicked out and in 2 to 4 times by extending and flexing at wrist. Usually performed when the bird sees another familiar bird (or human) after a short absence.
Interp: Af. ‘Greeting’ given to birds (or humans) known to the bird?
31. Wing-drop/chuckle. Wings held down and out from body; body feathers held down tightly, beak partly open, tongue may be seen moving. Bird may make chuckling sound. Mating may follow in bonded pair.
Interp: Af; Courtship; bird is sexually aroused.
32. Wing flip. Bird flips one wing out and then back in by sudden extension at shoulder joint only, producing a single, soft flicking or clapping sound. May repeat this with other wing or same wing within a few seconds of first flip. Bird never flips both wings at the same instant. Body feathers held flat down but not always tightly. This identical behaviour is seen in a range of other parrot species.
Interp: N/Ag. Termination activity and/or bird does not wish to be disturbed? Bird may object to being disturbed by another, which it may then threaten, following a wing-flip. Self-comforting behaviour?
33. Wing-stretch. Both wings raised together once only, by extension from shoulder joint only (primaries not extended). May be followed by synchronous stretching of left or right limbs.
Interp: Af; Greeting offered to known bird (or human)? Commencement activity?
34. Yow! Bird makes sudden, irritated “Yow!” sound and adopts an upright stance. All feathers held down. Not seen in Af grey.
Interp: Ag; Bird objects (and rejects) something that has happened to it. Occurs during minor squabbles or rough play with another bird.
African Grey parrot found at Leverton Junior School
IT was a case of pretty lost Polly when a parrot turned up unannounced at a primary school.
The African Grey was found at Leverton Junior School, in Honey Lane, Waltham Abbey, and is now in the care of Epping Forest District Council after it was rescued by animal warden Lynn Cook.
The parrot is described as very tame with distinguishing features..
If you think you are the owner of the parrot call Lynn on 01992 564077. Proof of ownership will be required.
African Grey’s Stolen From Drayton Manor Theme Park.
How Sad! Drayton Manor theme park is appealing for the safe return of its African Grey Parrots after thieves stole six of the birds from its zoo.
The theft happened at Drayton Manor Theme Park sometime between Tuesday evening and early morning on Wednesday after thieves gained access to one of the aviary flights.
Managing director Colin Bryan appealed for the return of the birds.
He said: “The birds are tame and easily identifiable.
“As well as being an attraction at Drayton Manor Zoo, the parrots are also favourites with the keepers who are anxious for their welfare.
“If anyone hears of or knows the whereabouts of these parrots then please contact John Hayward, co-ordinator of the National Theft Register on 01869 325699 as soon as possible.”
Drayton Manor is offering a reward for the safe return of the parrots and any information, which might lead to a conviction of the thieves
Makes you sick when people steal parrots for a money making profit, it’s the poor birds who suffer as they are normally passed on to people who have not got a clue how to care for them properly and think they are getting a bargain by getting a cheap parrot, poor things!
Posted by Paula
Big Brother’s Heidi Fleiss Shares Bed With Pet Parrots!
Here is Celebrity Big Brother star Heidi Fleiss with the exotic birds she misses so much she is threatening to quit the show. Heidi is pictured at her home in Pahrump, Nevada, with her long-term lover Dennis Hoff and Madam Suzette, the madam at Hof’s legal brothel the Moonlite Bunny Ranch. – Moonlite Bunny Ranch/Splash
Celebrity Big Brother contestant Heidi Fleiss is so fond of her pet parrots that she lets them play in her bed.
An incredible home video of the former Hollywood Madam shows her laughing and smiling at the exotic birds as they try to crawl under her sheets.
At one point, she even goes as far as to kiss one of her feathered friends on the beak.
“Three years ago, I got 20 exotic birds. They were from a lady who died – she was a former Madam,” she said. “I’ve never bonded to anything in my life, but I fell in love with these birds. I like them more than people.”
The home video of Fleiss, 44, and her birds was shown during American show Celebrity Rehab.
The former sex business owner completed a stint in the treatment centre in order to kick her crystal meth drug addiction.
Fleiss explained that the parrots were the closest thing to a relationship she could get.
“I don’t get high with anyone and you can’t be in a relationship because of my drug problem,” she said. “I’m so lonely. I’m such a lonely person because of my addiction.”
Fleiss, who lives in Death Valley, Nevada, has even threatened to quit Celebrity Big Brother because she misses her pets too much.
Fleiss, who once served 21 months in prison for tax evasion, told fellow housemates Nicola T and Lady Sovereign she was thinking of leaving because she missed the birds. “I have to see them tomorrow,” she said just five days after entering the Celebrity Big Brother house. “I can’t do it any more.”
Hollywood Madam Heidi Fleiss is also said to have requested a webcam so she could watch her pet macaws, cockatiels and parrots from the big brother house!! True love i would say!!
Posted By Paula
Learning to Read Your Parrots Body Language In 2 Steps.
Reading Your Parrots Body Language
Learning to read your parrots body language will help you to see your bird in a whole new light. It can help you understand when he is feeling under the weather, happy, wants attention and can also save you from receiving a nasty bite.
Once you have learned the main characteristics of your parrots body language it is easy to distinguish if your parrot is happy, sad, terrified or excited just by his stance.
By learning to understand how your bird is feeling at any particular time can greatly improve the relationship you have with your bird and help you understand what it is he is communicating to you at any given time.
1. Vocalizations
In the wild, birds use various vocalizations to warn others of danger, attract mates, protect their territory, and maintain social contacts. Most birds are highly vocal and many times may be trying to communicate with you.
- Singing, talking, and whistling: These vocalizations are often signs of a happy, healthy, content bird. Some birds love an audience and sing, talk, and whistle the most when others are around. Other birds will remain quiet when others are watching.
- Chattering: Chattering can be very soft or very loud. Soft chatter can be a sign of contentment or can be the practice of a bird learning to talk. Loud chatter can be an attention-getter, reminding you that she is there. In the wild, birds often chatter in the evening before going to sleep to connect with other flock members.
- Purring: Not the same as a cat’s purr, a bird’s purr is more like a soft growl that can be a sign of contentment or a sign of annoyance. When purring, the bird’s environment and other body language should be taken into consideration to determine what the bird is expressing.
- Tongue-clicking: By clicking her tongue against her beak, your bird may be entertaining herself or asking to be petted or picked up.
- Growling: Not heard in all pet birds, growling is an aggressive vocalization. If your bird is growling, examine her environment and remove anything that may be bothering her. Growling birds should not be handled as they do not want to be touched.
2. Wings and Body Gestures
- Fluffing and ruffling: Parrots will perform a quick feather ruffle to release tension, much like when humans take a quick moment to lean back and stretch before we go on to the next task. Parrots also fluff their feathers after a preening session so that all of the particles of dirt they have just removed will fall away. You may notice a fine dust of powder emanating from your bird after he does this, especially if you have a grey, a cockatoo, or a cockatiel. A parrot that stays fluffed for a longer period of time may be chilled or not feeling well.
- The “please” dance: A parrot that wants attention will clamber around the cage near the door and may sit right in front of the door, moving his head back and forth. This means he wants out. If he does the please dance while he’s out, he wants your attention or something you have.
- Head down: If your bird is used to being scratched on the head or neck, she may put her head down and ruffle her feathers, giving you the perfect spot to scratch.
- The attack stance: Displays of aggression can be normal at times for a companion parrot, though they can be unpleasant. Many aggressive displays are merely posturing. A bird would much rather fly from a fight than actually engage in one, unless it’s defending its nest. Unfortunately for the companion parrot, there is often no place to escape, and the aggression must be acted upon. Aggressive postures include fanning of the tail; crouching or standing tall and swaying from side to side with the crest held tightly back; hissing and spitting; fluffing the back feathers; and crouching with the beak open, ready to pounce and bite (as shown in the following photo).
This African grey is in “attack” stance. Avoid putting your fingers in his face at this time.
- Stretching: Parrots stretch for the same reasons people do, to lubricate our joints, to release tension, and primarily because stretching feels good. You may notice your parrot stretching one wing and one leg on the same side of his body at the same time. This classic birdie stretch that resembles something from yoga called mantling.
- Bowing and bobbing: Bowing and bobbing is an attention-getting technique used by tame parrots. It can become a neurotic behaviour for a constantly caged parrot. Also, ill parrots bow and bob, so you’ll have to watch your bird carefully to distinguish an attention-getting strategy from illness.
- Head shaking: Some parrots, particularly African greys, shake their heads as if there’s water in the ears. No one really knows why they do this, and it seems to be normal. If your bird is doing this a lot, it may be a sign of an ear or nasal infection.
- Leaning forward, wings shaking: If the wings are quivering, and the bird is staring at you, it’s about to launch itself at you. This is typical “I’m going to fly!” posture.
- Quivering wings: A parrot that’s shivering or has quivering wings may be frightened, overly excited, or in breeding mode.
- Beak language: An open beak, crouched posture, and hissing or yelling is prime biting posture. This is a frightened or displaying parrot.
- Potty language: Backing up a step or two or crouching on the perch, lifting tail, and even making a little noise. You can catch “poop posture” before the poop happens and move the parrot to another place if you want him to poop elsewhere.
- Chicken scratching: African greys and sometimes other parrots will “chicken scratch” at the bottom of their cage or on the carpet. Greys in particular do this because digging is part of their natural wild behaviour. If you don’t mind the mess, you can give your grey a sandbox (or litter box) to play in, using clean sand from the toy store.
- Eye pinning (dilate/contract pupils): A parrot whose pupils are pinning in and out is excited and may be in bite mode. Some parrots do this when they’re excited about something they like, such as a new toy or good food.
- Wing drooping: Wing drooping can be part of a mating dance, but in a listless bird, it can indicate illness.
- Wing flipping: A parrot will flip its wings up and down to indicate frustration, get attention, or indicate aggression. It may also happen during moulting, when it’s trying to align new feathers or get rid of old ones that may be hanging or ready to fall out.
Posted by Toria
Beloved Family Pet Stolen In Southampton.
A SOUTHAMPTON family has been left devastated after violent thieves broke into their home, attacked their pet dog and stole their beloved parrot.
Burglars struck at Terry Derbyshire’s family home in Shirley and attacked family pet Charlie, a Staffordshirecross rescue dog, before making off with their twoyear- old African grey parrot Sky.
The bird, which the family has owned for six months, is particularly known for its ability to utter an array of swear words.
Terry, 37, said his two teenage children have been left devastated by the burglary and that his dog, normally a boisterous family pet, is now unable to leave anyone’s side.
Terry and his partner Teresa Fitzgerald returned home early Thursday afternoon after being out for the morning to find the house had been burgled.
“Charlie was shaking and had blood on him and the parrot was gone,” said Terry.
“But they didn’t take anything else so we think Sky may have been stolen to order,” he added.
After calling the police Terry took Charlie to the vet and was told he had injuries, which showed he had been severely kicked, with bruising around his head and marks under his body.
“Charlie has completely changed. They really beat him hard,” he said.
“We can’t believe someone would do this. It has really shocked all of us and has devastated my children.”
Speaking about the parrot – which has an array of swear words among its vocabulary – he added: “Sky was my son’s pet. She is a loveable family pet and even knows how to speak her own name.
“We all really miss Sky and it’s not a family without her,” he added.
Police are now appealing for witnesses to the burglary which took place between 8am and 1pm on Thursday and are urging pet stores, bird groups and animal collectors to make contact if anyone tries to sell them an African grey parrot.
A spokeswoman for the Southampton burglary unit said: “This is an unusual burglary where a parrot is the only thing that was stolen.
“We would ask anyone in a bird group or club or anyone that is offered an African grey parrot for sale to get in touch with us immediately.”
Anyone with information can contact the burglary team directly on 023 8059 9997 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Courtesy of The Daily Echo
Rooney’s in-laws sick of squawking parrot
British footballer Wayne Rooney’s in-laws are said to be sick of their pet parrot, as it keeps on squawking their new grandson’s name.
Rooney, 24, and his wife Coleen, 23, had taught the African Grey to say “Kai Wayne Rooney” for “a laugh” little expecting that the bird will keep repeating it all day long at the top of its voice.
“It’s driving everybody round the bend. Nobody knows how to stop it,” the Sun quoted a friend as saying.
The couple had spent three weeks at the home of Tony and Colette McLoughlin in Roby, Liverpool, after Kai was born in November.
“Coleen’s mum and dad invited them to move in after the baby was born,” the friend said.
“They jumped at the chance and stayed for three weeks. “While messing around one day they thought it would be funny to teach the parrot to say the name.
“At first it was hilarious. After seeing the baby, visitors would be taken off to hear the parrot.
“But now it’s really wearing thin. Nearly two months on, the blooming bird still won’t shut up,” the friend added.
“But now it’s really wearing thin. Nearly two months on, the bird still won’t shut up.”
